诗歌：补充本920首

读经：太二四45~51，二五14~30

Scripture Reading: Matt. 24:45-51; 25:14-30

　　太二四45~46 这样，谁是那忠信又精明的奴仆，为主人所派，管理他的家人，按时分粮给他们？主人来到，看见他这样行，那奴仆就有福了。

　　我们要怎样在服事上忠信？我们该作什么？首先，〔在〕马太二十四章四十五至五十一节……主嘱咐我们，托付我们，要供应祂的家人，就是供应召会里的信徒。……按照四十五节，我们所供应的乃是食物。……我们必须按时分粮，就是分配生命的供应给主的子民。不要说别人有教导的恩赐，能教导你神的话，供应你属灵的食物，但你没有那样的恩赐。这里没有这样的思想。所有主的仆人都为着他们的使命，领受了恩赐（李文集一九八五年第五册，六三二页）。

　　Matt. 24:45-46 Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

　　In what way should we be faithful in the service? What shall we do? First, in Matthew 24:45-51...the Lord charged us, commissioned us, to minister something to His household, that is, to the believers in the church. According to verse 45, what we minister is food…. At the proper time we have to minister food, the life supply, to the Lord’s people. Do not say that others have a gift of teaching to teach you the Word of God and minister spiritual food to you but that you do not have such a gift. There is not such a thought here. All of the Lord’s servants received the gift for their commission. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” pp. 514-515)

　　供应食物的人知道要按时供餐。你若每天供应食物，你就必须作早餐、午餐和晚餐。泡杯咖啡、买一个甜甜圈作早餐，乃是懒惰的方式。在属灵的范围里，我们若是像这样，我们就不是好仆人，没有按时将生命的供应供给主人的家人。早晨应当按时供应早餐。还有，好妻子总是会预备最好的三明治给丈夫带到办公室，作为按时的午餐，并习惯为家人预备丰盛的晚餐。

　　同样，每当我们聚在一起，这就是你按时供应合式的食物给主的家属的时间。……如果我在主的话上没有够多的殷勤劳苦，就来对你们说话，我就只能供应你们“一杯咖啡和几个甜甜圈”。烹煮一顿滋养、美味的早餐，需要你的殷勤。照马太二十五章十四至三十节这个比喻的上下文，忠信的人就是殷勤的人。忠信在此等于殷勤，……我们必须殷勤寻求主的话，使我们预备好，来到聚会时能供应美好的食物。吃的时候就是“按时”；聚会的时候就是“按时”。……聚会的时间，就是指定的时候，我们众人必须将一些生命的供应，供给神家的人，供给同作信徒的人，就是供给我们的家业。

　　照顾他们就是去喂养他们，把食物供应给他们。对于罪人，我们所供应合式的食物，乃是基督的福音。医院里的护士知道，他们必须用不同的食物供应病人。不同的食物供应给不同的病人，是为了应付他们特殊的需要。对我们来说也是一样。全地就是医院，满了疾病和各式各样有病的人。实在说来，甚至召会也是医院，满了有病的人。所以，我们必须按时供应不同的话语给他们。主的家业总是在你身边。信徒、召会甚至所有的罪人都在你身边。你的责任，你的职责，乃是供应食物给他们。他们若是罪人，你必须供应他们恩典的福音，作他们所需要的食物。他们若是信徒，患了某种疾病，那么你就要从圣经上供应适合他们情形的话，来喂养、医治、加强或唤醒他们。这样作乃是作忠信又精明的奴仆，供应合式的食物给主的产业，就是按时分粮给各种人。当你进到办公室，必须领悟这就是指定的时候，让你供应合式的福音食物给不信的人。当你去上学，……所有你身边的同学也都是主所交给你的家业，你可以抓住机会，按时将福音供应给他们（李文集一九八五年第五册，六三四至六三六页）。

　　参读：实行主当前行动之路，第八、十章。

　　Whoever serves food knows the proper time. If you are serving food every day, you have to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. To buy a cup of coffee and a doughnut for breakfast is the lazy way. If we are like this in the spiritual realm, we will be poor slaves to minister the life supply to the master’s folks at the proper time. The proper time in the morning is breakfast. Also, good wives prepare the best sandwiches for their husbands to bring to the office for lunch at the proper time and are accustomed to preparing a big dinner for their family.

　　In like manner, whenever we meet together, this is one of the proper times, the appointed times, for you to minister the proper food to the Lord’s folks…. If I did not labor adequately in the Word and came to speak to you, I would just be ministering to you “a cup of coffee and some doughnuts.” To cook a nourishing, good breakfast, requires your diligence. According to the context of this parable, the faithful one is the diligent one. Faithful here equals diligent….We must be diligent in seeking the Word so that we could prepare to serve good food when we come to the meeting. The eating time is the proper time, and the meeting time is the proper time….The meeting times are the proper times when we all have to minister some portion of the life supply to our folks, to our fellow believers, to our possessions.

　　To care for them is simply to feed them, to minister food to them. To the sinners the proper food we minister is the gospel of Christ. The nurses in the hospitals know that they must serve the patients with different meals. Different food is ministered to different patients to meet their specific needs. It is the same with us. The entire earth is a hospital, full of sickness and full of all kinds of sick people. The church in a good sense is also a hospital, full of sick people. Therefore, we have to minister different words to them at the proper time. The Lord’s possessions are always around you. The believers, the churches, and even the more all the sinners are around you. It is your duty, your obligation, to minister food to them. If they are sinners, you have to minister the gospel of grace to them as the food they need. If they are believers sick of something, then you need to minister some word from the Bible that suits their condition, either to nourish them, to heal them, to strengthen them, or to wake them up. To do this is to be a faithful and prudent slave, ministering the proper food to the Lord’s possessions, which are all kinds of persons, at the proper time. When you enter into your office, you must realize that this is one of the proper times to minister the proper food of the gospel to the unbelieving ones. When you go to school, ... all the classmates around you are the Lord’s possessions delivered to you that you may take the opportunity, the proper time, to minister the gospel to them. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” pp. 516-517)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” chs. 8, 10

　　太二四48~50 若是那恶仆心里说，我的主人必来得迟，就动手打那些和他同作奴仆的，又和酒醉的人一同吃喝，在想不到的日子，不知道的时辰，那奴仆的主人要来。

　　当我们错待同作信徒者，批评、反对或藐视他时，在主的眼中那就是打他。我们在这里必须说一句重话。我们很容易会不知不觉落入这种危险。我们会落入批评弟兄姊妹的情形里；有时我们会反对或藐视一些圣徒，甚至会与他们争斗。这就是打主的奴仆，就是那些与我们同作奴仆的人（李文集一九七九年第二册，一二五页）。

　　Matt. 24:48-50 But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know.

　　When we mistreat a fellow believer by criticizing, opposing, or despising him, in the eyes of the Lord, that is to beat him. We have to say a strong word here. We can easily fall into this danger without any kind of realization. We can fall into criticizing the brothers and sisters. Sometimes we may oppose or despise some of the saints. Perhaps we would even fight against them. This is to beat the Lord’s slaves, who are our fellow slaves. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Basic Lessons on Service,” p. 101)

　　〔在马太二十四章四十八节奴仆说，〕“我的主人必来得迟。”他的确信主的再来，但以为是迟慢而来。凡不信主快来的，这人就是恶仆。主说他的错误原因即在四十八节，口里虽说主必再来，心中仍以为主必迟延。这等人危险；人若无主必快来的态度，必不会儆醒。

　　有许多人不愿主快来，诚恐主来必破坏或终止他的计划。他不能有约翰的祷告：“阿们。主耶稣啊，我愿你来！”（启二二20）我们必须有愿主快来的态度和心愿。……若你以为主必迟延，主必比你所想的更快些（倪柝声文集第一辑第十五册，二八二页）。

　　我们众人都应该按时分粮给主的子民（太二四45），并且充分使用主的恩赐（二五20、22）。在消极一面，我们不该动手打那些和我们同作奴仆的人（二四49）。你可能没有尽你的责任去完成你的事奉，反而在批评，有时甚至强烈地和弟兄们作对。你不是在作工，乃是动手打同作奴仆的。有些姊妹总是忙于打电话。当她们听见关于弟兄们好的事，她们没有兴趣让任何人知道；当她们听见关于某些弟兄们（特别是长老们）不好的事，她们就忙于讲电话。这就是为什么许多地方召会的长老总是怕作错事。他们一旦作错了什么事，几乎所有的人都会透过电话知道。这些电话上的谈论都是在动手打人。

　　当一些消极的事发生在任何圣徒身上，有些人永远不会禁止自己不说。传播这样消极的情形乃是一种动手打人。有些时候在祷告聚会里，为着一个在消极情形里的圣徒，你也许用一种巧妙的方式为他祷告。……你为人祷告，但你的祷告大约百分之十是一种论断。这就是动手打人。一个地方的长老也许批评另一个地方的长老，这也是动手打同作奴仆的。

　　你把你事奉的时间浪费在动手打人的事上。你没有事奉，反而动手打了弟兄，就是和你同作奴仆的。许多弟兄都能见证，他们从未听见我借着批评人或暴露人而动手打人。我唯一的负担乃是释放信息。虽然我无意暴露任何人，许多人却借着我所释放信息里的光被暴露。那不是我的工作，乃是主的工作。我们都必须停下我们的批评、论断、反对和怨言，那些都是在动手打人。我们必须花费我们的时间、我们的精力和我们的一切，为着主的权益有积极的事奉（李文集一九八五年第五册，六六四至六六六页）。

　　参读：倪柝声文集第一辑第十五册，二七七至二八二页；倪柝声文集第三辑第十一册，二七三至二七五页。

　　[In Matthew 24:48 the slave said], “My master delays.” The slave believed that the Lord was coming again, but he also believed that He was delaying His coming. Anyone who does not believe that the Lord is coming quickly is an evil slave. The reason for the slave’s mistake, according to what the Lord said, is in verse 48. Even though with his mouth he said that the Lord would come quickly, in his heart he still considered that the Lord would delay. This kind of person is in peril. If one does not take the attitude that the Lord will come quickly, he will not be watchful.

　　Many people do not want the Lord to come quickly. They are afraid that when the Lord comes, He will spoil and terminate their plans. They cannot pray John’s prayer: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20). We must have an attitude and a desire for the Lord to come quickly…. If you think that the Lord will delay, He will come sooner than you expect. (CWWN, vol. 15, p. 302)

　　All of us should be those who are feeding the Lord’s people at the proper time (Matt. 24:45) and using the Lord’s talents in full (25:20, 22). On the negative side, we should not be those beating our fellow slaves (24:49). You may not do your duty to perform your service, but instead you are criticizing and sometimes even strongly opposing the brothers. You are not doing the work but beating the fellow slaves. Some of the sisters are always busy on the telephone. When they hear something good about the brothers, they are not interested in letting anyone know. When they hear something bad about certain brothers, especially the elders, they become busy on the telephone. This is why many of the elders in the local churches are afraid to do anything wrong. Once they do something wrong, nearly everyone knows through the use of the telephone. These telephone calls are all beatings.

　　When something negative happens to any of the saints, some can never retain it. Passing on the news of this negative situation is a kind of beating. Sometimes you may have a subtle way of praying in the prayer meeting for a saint who is in a negative situation….You pray for people, but about ten percent of your prayer is a kind of judging. This is beating. The elders in one location may criticize the elders in another location. This is also beating the fellow slaves.

　　You waste your time of service in beating. Instead of doing the service, you beat the brothers, the fellow slaves. Many of the brothers can testify that they never heard me beating others by criticizing or exposing them. My only burden is to release messages. Although I have no intention of exposing anyone, many are exposed by the light in the messages I release. That is not my job but the Lord’s work. We all have to stop our criticizing, judging, opposing, and murmuring as a kind of beating. We must spend our time, our energy, and our everything to do a positive service for the Lord’s interest. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” pp. 539-540)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 15, pp. 297-302, 337-351; CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” pp. 239-240

　　太二四48~50 若是那恶仆心里说，我的主人必来得迟，就动手打那些和他同作奴仆的，又和酒醉的人一同吃喝，在想不到的日子，不知道的时辰，那奴仆的主人要来。

　　主在马太二十四章的话乃是一个比喻。既然是个比喻，就必须解释。和酒醉的人一同吃喝〔49下〕，就是与沉醉在属世事物里的世人为伴，……沉醉于属世的享受，这就是不运用恩赐的危险。一旦我们成了与世人为伴的人，就不会向主忠信，运用祂所给我们的恩赐，自然就会落入危险里（李文集一九七九年第二册，一二五页）。

　　Matt. 24:48-50 But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know.

　　The Lord’s word in Matthew 24 is a parable. Since it is a parable, it must be interpreted. To eat and drink “with the drunken” [v. 49b] is to keep company with worldly people, who are drunk with worldly things, …worldly enjoyment. This is the danger of not using our gift. Once we become a person who keeps company with worldly people, we would not be faithful to the Lord in using the gift He gives us, so we fall into danger. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Basic Lessons on Service,” p. 101)

　　“和酒醉的人一同吃喝”（二四49）……比动手打同作奴仆的人飘离得更远、堕落得更甚。……属世的人被属世的事物迷醉，甚至麻醉。他们被现今的世代所麻醉。与他们一同吃喝，就是享受他们所享受的。就好的一面说，当你动手打圣徒，你对召会生活仍然有兴趣。……因为你是如此“对召会有负担”，如此对召会生活有兴趣，你才批评弟兄姊妹。一旦你定意要忘掉召会，不再对召会有兴趣，你就进到爱世界里，并与那些常被这世代所麻醉的世人为伴。一个爱世界的圣徒，无心谈论长老的好坏。他也许曾经动手打和他同作奴仆的，但他现今被属世的享乐完全霸占了。他现今在和酒醉的人一同吃喝。几乎每天对他都是快乐的一天，每个周末对他都是欢乐的周末，因为他正享受属世事物的麻醉。

　　在主的使命上懒惰不忠信的奴仆有一个借口，就是主不会立刻回来，就是祂必来得迟（48）。结果，他们开始虐待同作信徒的，并有分于属世的事物。他们的借口是，主若现在就回来，所有的事都解决了，他们就不会有时间爱世界了。然而，主在马太二十四章的话告诉我们，祂不会接受这样的借口。祂回来时，要把不忠信的奴仆割断（51）。割断不是指切成碎片。我们得救时，就与基督这位受膏者（林后一21）联结了，即使我们在退后的光景中，主也不会把我们切断。但我们若仍然不忠信并懒惰，祂在回来时就要把我们从这样的联结中割断。祂将要执行我们和祂之间的割断。我们要从祂荣耀的同在中被割断，到一个假冒为善的人受处分的地方。不信者的处分是永远的沉沦，而懒惰奴仆的处分是暂时的、时代性的惩罚。

　　不要打那么多电话，反倒要用这些时间去接触你隔壁的邻居，给他一本我们所出版的彩虹小册。你若持续、定时、正确且带着真诚的负担和一些祷告，每两周一次拜访你的一个邻居，你不信这个人会被主得着么？我们不该用任何事作借口。我们不能说，人都中了毒反对我们，或者说我们所在地是一个满了基督徒的特别地区。我们必须问自己：我们花了多少时间带着福音单张、圣经和一些彩虹小册去访问人？你若试着这样作，一周过一周，甚至一天过一天，你就要看见结果。圣经告诉我们，栽培的人或农夫应当忍耐地劳苦，期待看见收获（林前九10，提后二6）（李文集一九八五年第五册，六六六、六六八至六七○页）。

　　参读：事奉的基本功课，第十三课。

　　[To eat and drink with the drunken] (Matt. 24:49) is to drift away further, a further fall from beating the fellow slaves….The worldly people are drunk and even drugged with worldly things. They are stupefied with the present age. To eat and drink with them is to enjoy what they enjoy. In a good sense, when you are beating the saints, you are still interested in the church life…. Because you are so “burdened for the church” and so interested in the church life, you criticize the brothers and the sisters.

　　Once you make the decision to forget about the church, to have no interest in the church, you enter into the loving of the world, and you keep company with worldly people who are always being stupefied by this age. A saint who loves the world has no heart to talk about what elders are good or bad. He may once have been beating his fellow slaves, but now he is fully occupied with worldly enjoyment. He is now eating and drinking with the drunken. Nearly every day may be a happy day to him, and nearly every weekend a pleasant weekend, because he is enjoying the stupefying of the worldly things.

　　The slothful slaves who are not so faithful in the Lord’s commission have an excuse that the Lord is not coming back immediately, that He is delaying His coming (v. 48). As a result, they begin to mistreat fellow believers and partake of the worldly things. Their excuse is that if the Lord would return right now, everything would be solved; they would not have the time to love the world. However, the Lord’s word in Matthew 24 tells us He would not take this kind of excuse. At His coming back He will cut off, or cut asunder, His unfaithful slaves (v. 51). To cut asunder does not mean to cut into pieces. When we were saved, we became attached to Christ, the anointed One (2 Cor. 1:21). Even if we are in a backslidden condition, the Lord will not cut us off. But if we remain unfaithful and slothful, at His coming back He will cut us off from this attachment. He will carry out a cutting asunder between us and Him. We will be cut off from His glorious presence into a place that will be the portion of the hypocrites. The portion of the unbelievers is eternal perdition, but the portion of the slothful slaves is a temporary, dispensational punishment.

　　Instead of making so many telephone calls, use the time to go to contact your next-door neighbor, and give him a rainbow booklet that we have published. If you visited one of your neighbors once every two weeks, continuously, regularly, properly, and with a sincere burden and some prayer, do you not believe this person could be caught by the Lord? We cannot take anything as an excuse. We cannot say that many have been poisoned against us or that our particular area is a place full of Christians. We must ask ourselves how much time we have spent in visiting others with gospel tracts, with the Bible, and with some of the rainbow booklets. If you try this week after week and even day after day, you will see the result. The Bible tells us that the husbandmen, or farmers, should labor with patience, expecting to see the gathering (1 Cor. 9:10; 2 Tim. 2:6). (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” pp. 540-543)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Basic Lessons on Service,” lsn. 13

　　太二五14~15 诸天的国又好比一个人要往外国去，就叫了自己的奴仆来，把他的家业交给他们，按照各人的才干，个别地给了一个五他连得银子，一个二他连得，一个一他连得，就往外国去了。

　　在……马太二十五章十四至三十节，……“他的家业”象征召会（弗一18）连同所有的信徒，他们乃是神的家人（太二四45）。……这个比喻中的“他连得银子”象征属灵的恩赐（罗十二6，林前十二4，彼前四10，提后一6）。……新约乃是说神的召会（徒二十28，林前一2）、基督的召会（罗十六16）和众圣徒的召会（林前十四34）。召会乃是众圣徒（就是信徒）的产业。

　　你不能说你没有恩赐。……为此，我总是鼓励你要尽功用。……这不是我的教训，这是圣经的教训（林前十四24、26、29~32）。……不要粘在椅子上。……你必须跳起来说话。你说话就是按时分粮给主的家人。

　　所有的罪人〔也〕都属于主，他们都是主的家业，……主确实把召会，连同所有的信徒和罪人交给我们，要我们为祂照顾他们（李文集一九八五年第五册，六三二至六三五页）。

　　Matt. 25:14-15 For the kingdom of the heavens is just like a man about to go abroad, who called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions. To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went abroad.

　　In Matthew 25:14-30…his possessions signifies the church (Eph. 1:18) with all the believers, who are His household (Matt. 24:45)….Talents in this parable signifies spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4; 1 Pet. 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:6)….The New Testament... speaks of the church of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2), the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16), and the church of the saints (1 Cor. 14:33). The church is the possession of all the saints, the believers.

　　You cannot say that you are not gifted…. For this reason I have always encouraged you to function….This is not my teaching; this is the Bible’s teaching (1 Cor. 14:24, 26, 29-32)….Do not just be stuck to your chair….You have to jump up to say something. For you to speak is to minister food to the Lord’s household at the proper time.

　　All the sinners [also] belong to the Lord; they are all the Lord’s possessions….The Lord has surely delivered to us the church with all the believers and all the sinners that we may take care of them for His sake. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” pp. 515-517)

　　马太二十五章十四节说，〔一个〕人把他的家业交给他的奴仆。奴仆象征信徒服事的一面（林前七22~23，彼后一1，雅一1，罗一1）。……我信交给奴仆的家业包括福音、真理、信徒和召会。……你若不在意这些事，就不会有银子。

　　我们不该漠然等候主给我们什么。不，我们必须殷勤寻求福音和真理。我们该渴慕认识人的堕落、救赎、重生、救恩、血的洁净以及那灵的洗涤；这些都是全备福音的各方面。……我们〔也〕需要〔认识并〕经历关于召会、神永远的定旨和神的经纶这些真理。最终，这些真理要成为我们的银子。然后我们就能把这些真理服事给别人。这样，主的家业就成了我们的银子。此外，我们需要祷告说，“主，我要照顾圣徒，背负他们的担子。我的心是为着他们的。”我们若有心为着圣徒，对他们有负担，他们这些主的家业，就要当作银子赐给我们。

　　不要丢下任何主所给你的负担。……主在祂的恢复里有极大的工作。为着这工作，祂需要成千的青年弟兄姊妹被兴起来背负责任。

　　银子不是与生俱来的东西，却完全与你的负担有关。你接受一个负担，就领受一他连得银子。

　　尽管银子不是我们的才干，乃是主的家业，但银子是按照我们的才干交给我们的。我们的才干是由神的创造和我们的学习所构成。我们才干的度量是基于我们的心愿。我们若没有什么心愿，就没有度量领受银子（马太福音生命读经，八三七至八四○页）。

　　摩西学会照着神的引导事奉神并信靠神（徒七34~36，来十一28）。……虽然他非常能干，但他不用他天然的才干。他天然的才干受了对付，就成为在复活里的才干。……我们天然的才干若未受对付，就与神的行动分离；然而，我们的才干经过了十字架的对付之后，就与神的行动成为一。实际上，是神作到摩西的才干里，他的才干至终就充满了神（李文集一九七九年第二册，一八四页）。

　　参读：创世记生命读经，第八十三至八十五篇；事奉的基本功课，第二十课。

　　Matthew 25:14 says that [a] man delivered his possessions to his slaves. The slaves signify believers in the aspect of service (1 Cor. 7:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:1; James 1:1; Rom. 1:1)….I believe that the possessions delivered to the slaves include the gospel, the truth, the believers, and the church…. If you do not care for these things, you will not have any talents.

　　We should not wait in an indifferent way for the Lord to give us something. No, we must diligently seek the gospel and the truth. We should be eager to know the fall of man, redemption, regeneration, salvation, the cleansing of the blood, and the washing of the Spirit. All these are aspects of the full gospel…. We need to [also know and] experience the truth concerning the church, God’s eternal purpose, and God’s economy. Eventually, these truths will become our talent. Then we shall be able to minister them to others. In this way, the Lord’s possessions become our talent. Furthermore, we need to pray, “Lord, I want to take care of the saints and bear their burdens. My heart is for them.” If we have a heart for the saints and are burdened for them, they, the Lord’s possession, will be given to us as a talent.

　　Do not drop any burden that the Lord has given you….The Lord has a vast work in His recovery. For this work, He needs thousands of young brothers and sisters to be raised up to bear the responsibility.

　　The talent is not something of your natural birth; rather, it is altogether related to your burden. If you take up a burden, you will receive a talent.

　　Although the talents are not our ability, but the Lord’s possession, they are delivered to us according to our ability. Our ability is constituted by God’s creation and our learning. The capacity of our ability is based upon the willingness of our heart. If we do not have any willingness in our heart, then we shall not have the capacity to receive the talent. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 759, 761-762)

　　Moses learned to serve God according to His leading and to trust in Him (Acts 7:34-36; Heb. 11:28)…. Although he was very capable, he did not use his natural ability. His natural ability was dealt with, so it became an ability in resurrection…. If our ability is not dealt with, it is separate from God’s move. But after being dealt with by the cross, our ability becomes one with God’s move. Actually, God was wrought into Moses’ ability. His ability eventually was full of God. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Basic Lessons on Service,” pp. 143-144)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msgs. 83-85; CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Basic Lessons on Service,” lsn. 20

　　太二五15~17 按照各人的才干，个别地给了一个五他连得银子，一个二他连得，一个一他连得，就往外国去了。那领五他连得的，随即拿去作买卖，另外赚了五他连得。那领二他连得的，也照样另赚了二他连得。

　　用银子作买卖〔太二五16~17〕，表征运用主所给我们的恩赐；另外赚了银子，表征我们已经完全用上从主所领受的恩赐，没有任何的损失或浪费。

　　按照马太二十四章，奴仆要供应粮食给家人。这是指将滋养的话，带着基督的丰富作生命的供应，服事给主家里的人。然而，〔二十五章〕说到用银子作买卖，使银子繁增。因此，我们服事的结果有两面。第一面是别人得喂养，得着丰富的滋养。第二面是主的家业得着繁增。例如，我们越传福音，福音就越丰富。真理也是这样；当我们把真理服事给别人时，真理就繁增。圣徒和召会也是这样。信徒和召会都要繁增（马太福音生命读经，八四一页）。

　　Matt. 25:15-17 To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went abroad. Immediately he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained another five. Similarly, he who had received the two gained another two.

　　To trade with the talents [Matt. 25:16-17] signifies using the gift the Lord has given us, and to gain other talents signifies that the gift we received from the Lord has been used to the fullest extent, without any loss or waste.

　　According to Matthew 24, the slave is to supply food to those in the household. This refers to the ministering of the nourishing word with the riches of Christ as the life supply to those in the Lord’s house. In chapter 25, however, it speaks of trading with the talents to cause the talents to multiply. Therefore, the result of our service has two aspects. The first aspect is that others are fed and given rich nourishment. The second aspect is that the Lord’s possessions are multiplied. For example, the more we preach the gospel, the richer the gospel becomes. It is the same with the truths. As we minister the truths to others, the truths multiply. This is also true of the saints and the churches. Both the believers and the churches will multiply. (Life-study of Matthew, p. 763)

　　〔马太二十五章〕这比喻所着重的，是那领一他连得的，就是领受最小恩赐的人。恩赐最小的人，很容易对自己的恩赐没有正确地运用。……地乃是象征世界，所以掘开地是表征钻进世界。任何与世界的联合、牵连，甚至一点世俗的交谈，都会埋藏主给我们的恩赐。把主人的银子埋藏起来，表征将主的恩赐弃之不用，以属地的借口为掩饰，任其荒废。任何不运用主恩赐的借口，都是把恩赐埋藏起来。那些领一他连得的人，认为所得的恩赐最小，常有这种埋藏恩赐的危险。

　　在这比喻中，那领一他连得的奴仆没有繁增。……有些人也许以为那领一他连得的奴仆作得好，没有失去他的银子，并且把主所有的归还祂。那领一他连得的奴仆似乎说，“主啊，你所有的在这里。你给了我一他连得，我忠信地保守、保管、保护并保存着。因着你的怜悯和恩典，我都守住了。”但我们服事的结果，必须是我们的银子繁增。主的旨意不是要我们仅仅保持祂所赐给我们的。你若仅仅忠信地保守福音、真理和召会，没有任何繁增，主要说你是懒惰的。不仅如此，祂要称你为恶仆。在主眼中，埋藏银子而不繁增，是邪恶的。主不管我们的争辩或借口，祂只在意一他连得繁增为二他连得。这是严肃的事。我们服事的结果，必须是别人得喂养和饱足，并且银子得繁增（马太福音生命读经，八四一至八四二页）。

　　那在主的银子上懒惰不忠信的奴仆……有一个借口〔24~25〕。……主承认祂对奴仆在为祂作工上的要求是严厉的，并指明懒惰的奴仆既然知道这事，就应该作些事。就一面说，主承认祂没有撒种的地方，却要收割；祂没有簸散的地方，却要收聚。我们也许找许多借口说，收割任何东西或收聚任何东西是很难的。我们在主的审判台前也许向主陈明这些借口，把这些全都归咎于主。……主不会听我们的借口，反而会把我们从祂的同在里割断，并把祂所给我们的恩赐夺去。……这乃是主在马太二十四和二十五章所告诉我们的（李文集一九八五年第五册，六六八至六六九页）。

　　参读：马太福音生命读经，第六十五篇。

　　The main emphasis in this parable is on the one-talented one, the one who received the smallest gift. It is very easy for the least-gifted ones to fail to make the proper use of their gift. As the earth signifies the world, so to dig in the earth signifies getting into the world. Any association, any involvement with the world, even a little worldly talk, will bury the Lord’s gift to us. Hiding the Lord’s silver signifies rendering the Lord’s gift useless, letting it lie waste under the cloak of certain earthly excuses. Any excuse for not using the Lord’s gift is to hide it. This is always the danger with the one-talented ones, those who consider their gift as the smallest.

　　With the one-talented slave in this parable, there is no multiplication…. Some may think that the one-talented slave did well in not losing his talent and in returning to the Lord what was His. The one-talented slave seemed to say, “Lord, here is what is Yours. You gave me one talent, and I have been faithful to keep, guard, protect, and preserve it. By Your mercy and grace, I have kept it.” But the issue of our service must be the multiplication of our talents. It is not the Lord’s will for us simply to maintain what He has given us. If you are faithful merely to keep the gospel, the truth, and the church without any multiplication, the Lord will say that you are slothful. Furthermore, He will call you an evil slave. In the eyes of the Lord, it is evil to bury the talent and not to multiply it. The Lord does not care for our argument or excuses. He cares only that the one talent is multiplied into two. This is a serious matter. Our service must issue in the feeding and satisfaction of others and in the multiplication of the talent. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 763-764)

　　The slothful slave who was not faithful with the Lord’s talent... had an excuse [Matt. 25:24-25]….The Lord admitted that He is strict in what He demands of His slaves for His work and indicated that since the slothful slave knew this, he should have done something. The Lord admitted that in a sense He does not sow, yet He claims the reaping. He does not winnow, yet He claims of you the gathering. We may make many excuses that it is really hard to reap anything or to gather anything. We may present these excuses to the Lord at the judgment seat, putting the blame entirely upon Him….The Lord will not listen to our excuses but instead will cut us off from His presence and take away the gift He has given to us. This is not my teaching, but this is what the Lord told us in Matthew 24 and 25. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord’s Present Move,” p. 542)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 65

　　太二五26~27 主人就回答他说，又恶又懒的奴仆，你既知道我没有撒种的地方要收割，没有簸散的地方要收聚，就当把我的银子放给兑换银钱的人，到我来的时候，可以连本带利收回。

　　你若领了一他连得，就需要使用它。你来聚会之前，需要祷告说，“主，我相信我有一他连得。我不要因着与属地的事物牵连在一起，把我的一他连得埋藏了。反之，我要使用它照顾别人。”要对那些心里冷淡的人表露一点爱心，去看看他们或邀请他们到你家里。你花时间和主同在，向祂敞开，问祂该照顾哪些人时，祂就会给你负担。你接触别人，与他们交通时，自然而然就会使用你的银子。……这样，一他连得会成为二他连得，二他连得会成为四他连得，五他连得会成为十他连得。银子，即神交托给我们的家业，就要得着繁增。我们若都忠信地实行这事，主的恢复就真的会繁增。

　　把银子放给兑换银钱的人〔太二五27〕，表征运用主的恩赐引领别人得救，并将祂的丰富供应他们。“利”表征我们使用主的恩赐，为主工作所获得的有利结果（马太福音生命读经，四四八至四四九页）。

　　Matt. 25:26-27 And his master answered and said to him, Evil and slothful slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not winnow. Therefore you should have deposited my money with the money changers; and when I came, I would have recovered what is mine with interest.

　　If you have received one talent, you need to use it. Before you come to a meeting, you need to pray, “Lord, I believe that I have a talent. I don’t want to bury my talent by getting involved with earthly things. Rather, I would like to use it to take care of others.” Show some love to those whose heart has grown cold. Go to see them or invite them to your home. As you spend time with the Lord and open to Him regarding whom you should take care of, He will burden you. As you contact others and have fellowship with them, you will spontaneously use your talent…. In this way, the one talent will become two, the two talents will become four, and the five talents will become ten. The talents, God’s possessions which have been committed to us, will be multiplied. If we are all faithful to practice this, the Lord’s recovery will truly multiply.

　　Depositing the money with the money changers [Matt. 25:27], the bankers, signifies using the Lord’s gift to lead others to salvation and to minister His riches to them. Interest signifies the profitable result we gain for the Lord’s work by using His gift. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 769-770)

　　在某种意义上，我们可以说，兑换银钱的人就是所有的新人、软弱者、年幼者以及退后者。我们需要把主的家业托付给这些兑换银钱的人。兑换银钱的人不是带头的弟兄，乃是软弱的人、有问题的人。假定一位弟兄持异议，消极地说到召会。……这样一位持异议的弟兄，若由召会中另一位爱他并关切他的弟兄与他接触，不是由一位长老与他接触，这是何等美好！倘若许多人与这位持异议的弟兄接触，他至终会回到召会，并为着召会赞美主。

　　你若这样使用你的银子照顾别人，你不仅会使银子繁增，自己也会在三层天上，并且会迅速长大、得着变化。你会在心思的灵里得以更新；并且向着全宇宙，我们中间会有身体奇妙的见证。宇宙会看见我们不是宗教的聚集，乃是活的身体。为此，我们都需要使用我们的银子，就是主的家业。结果将是繁增。……我们越照顾圣徒和召会，我们就越丰富。

　　马太二十五章二十八节说，“从他夺过这他连得来，给那有十他连得的。”夺过这他连得来，表征在要来的国度里，主的恩赐要从懒惰的信徒夺去。把这他连得给那有十他连得的，表征忠信信徒的恩赐要增加。……凡在召会时代赚得利润的，在要来的国度时代要得着更多的恩赐；但在召会时代没有赚得利润的，在要来的国度时代，连他所有的恩赐也要从他夺去〔29〕。

　　三十节说，“把这无用的奴仆，扔在外面黑暗里，在那里必要哀哭切齿了。”这话与二十四章五十一节者同，指明二十五章十四至三十节是二十四章四十五至五十一节的完成，都是论到忠信为着主的工作。

　　在服事上，我们需要忠信。……我们在服事上的忠信与赏赐有关。我们若……忠信，那么我们……在主回来时要得着赏赐，……在要来的国度时代有分于权柄（马太福音生命读经，八四九至八五一、八五三页）。

　　参读：马太福音生命读经，第六十六篇；国度，第三十八章。

　　In a sense, we may say that the bankers are all the new ones, weak ones, young ones, and backsliding ones. We need to deposit the Lord’s possession with these bankers. The bankers are not the leading brothers, but the weaker ones, those who have problems. Suppose a certain brother is dissenting and speaks negatively about the church…. How good it would be for such a dissenting brother to be contacted, not by one of the elders, but by another brother in the church who loves him and cares for him! If a dissenting brother is contacted by a number of others, he will eventually come back to the church and praise the Lord for the church.

　　If you use your talent in this way to take care of others, you will not only multiply the talent, but you yourself will be in the third heaven and will quickly grow and be transformed. You will be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and among us there will be a marvelous testimony of the Body to the whole universe. The universe will see that we are not a religious gathering, but a living Body. For this, we all need to use our talent, the Lord’s possession. The result will be multiplication….The more we take care of the saints and the churches, the richer we become.

　　Matthew 25:28 says, “Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.” Taking away the talent signifies that the Lord’s gift will be taken away from slothful believers in the coming kingdom. The giving of the talent to the one with ten talents signifies that the gift of faithful believers will be increased. To everyone who gains profit in the church age, more gift shall be given in the coming kingdom age; but from him who has not gained profit in the church age, even the gift he has shall be taken away from him in the coming kingdom age [v. 29].

　　Verse 30 says, “And cast out the useless slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” This word, the same as in 24:51, indicates that 25:14-30 is a completion to 24:45-51 concerning faithfulness for the Lord’s work.

　　In our service we need to be faithful….Our faithfulness in service is related to the reward. If we are... faithful, …we shall be rewarded when the Lord comes back... [which] is to participate in the authority in the coming kingdom age. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 770-771, 773-774)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 66; CWWL, 1972, vol. 2, “The Kingdom,” ch. 38